Filling-feeler mechanism.



1. NORTHHOP.

FILLING'FEELER MEcHAmsM'. APPLICATION FILED APHIS; i916- f Patented Dect.r 4, 191?.

f 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

yisenseo.

UIEUSETTS.-

Specification ofietters Bete-nt.

Patented Deo el, lelll' Application :lieti il* 7:2113, wie. Serial No. 8915593.

Stute of Messechusetts, hnveinvented cer# train new end useful improvements in lillmgleeler Meclninismspend oo hereby declare the following to be s full, clear, end

. exact description oi' the invention, such as lll `vfill enable others skilled in the art 'to which it epperceins to malle and nse the seme.

rlhe present invention relates to onA improvement in lling eeler mechenisms for looms., :i

rlhe object ot the invention is to produce s. illing `eeler mechanismot simple construction capable of determining critical or predetermined exhaustion of filling eilicaciously, so that the lilling may be exhausted more uniformly on the filling carriers irrespective of variations in their sizes land irrespective of whether they are obliquely positioned in the shuttle. TWith this object in View the invention Vconsists oi the improvedvand simpliied filling eeler mechanism hereinafter described and particularly lpointed ont in the claims.

ln the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred form of the invention,

Figure l is e plan of e, portion ot e' loomshowing 'the application of the improved filling` teeler mechanism thereto; Fig. 2 is a front elevation 'of the parts shown in Fie. l; Fig. Bfis s. side elevation of the seme looking from the right; and Fig. 4, is e seetion teken on the line 4.--4 of Fig. l.

The loom 'to which the improved filling eeler mechanism is e lied hoof en IJ usual or preferred construction, and muy. be either e plain lloom or s. weft replenishing loom. lf applied to :if plein loom the feeler mechanism operates to stop the loom upon critical exhaustion (or exhaustion to n'predetermined extent) ofthe filling in the shuttle; and if applied to a Weit replenishing loom the eeler mechanism operates to bring bout the'insertion in the shuttle oi e. lrcshsup- I ply of filling upon critical exhaustion.

lhe portion oi the loom shown in the dren/'ings comprises s breast beam 85 al weft ha'rnmer 9 pivoted on e stud l0 and oscil,

lated by e. cam actuotedlfever in timed rela.- tionivi'th thev movements oiithe lay l2 supported on ley sword 13 for movements lo the usuel mannere and e shuttle le; having the usuel' slot l5 cut in its irontV Well end containingI e. filling ce1-riezlG. The rock or change shaft l? journeled in brackets secured to the front side of the breast beam may he connected et the end. ol" the loom opposite the filling eeler mechanism with the weft replenishing mechanism, or it may be connected et the lilling eeler end of the loom with the shipper devices by which the loom is stopped. The construction, organizatiom, und .inode of operation of these and other parts of the loom coperating therewith are 'familier to" those skilled in the art.

The improved filling lleeler mechanism comprises a filling feelingy member or filling1 eeler which consists of c filling engaging member 2O and a. feeler lever 2L The filling engaging member is yieldingly mounted for reciprocatory movements toWzird and from the filling carrier on the feeler lever 21 which is pivotecl on al pin 22 rising from c eeler lever support QS-provided with a slot 24C; through which passes a bolt 25 by which the ieeler support 23 is adjustably secured to e plete 26 secured bya bolt and slot-con-l nection to sbrnclret 27 in turn secured by another bolt end slot connection to a second bracket v28 fastened to the breast beam. v This construction is such that the filling feeler maybe adjusted vertically, transversely and obliquely -With relation to the `filling carrier. The iilling engaging member 2O is slidingly' received in guides 3() and 31 rising from the eeler lever. A. compression spring 32 encircling a shank 33 formed on the forward end oi the filling engaging member is interposed between n shoulder 29 at the junction of the shanlr and the head of the filling en gugmg member end the guide 30, and yieldingly presses the lling engaging member toward the illing'carrier so that i may be en gaged by the filling thereon. T ie rearward movement of the filling engaging member 20, that is, the movement toward theiilling. carrier, is limited by e'stop Apin 34 which projects downwardly from the shank. 33 and comes into engagement with the forward. side of a rib 35 'formed on the resrwardlend of the 'leeler lever 2l. The rear or lling engaging end of the fillin engaging member 20 is serrated or provi ed with iilling eugeging teeth When the filling on the rerrier l@ strikes the lling feelcr on the forward beet ol? the ley when the shuttle is boxed at the filling feeler end of the lay, this being termed the filling feeling beat of .the lay, these serrations or teeth 37 cooperate with the filling to prevent movement of 'the filling feeler longitlidinally of the filling carrier. It will be observed that the filling engaging end of the filling engaging meniber 20 lies on a line drawn through the axis of the pivot )in 22 and disposed at right angles to the lling cari-.ier when the parts of' the fillingfeeler mechanism are in normal position, as shown in Fig. 1. JConsequently, .when the filling carrier on the filling feeling ',beat of the lay strikes the filling engaging teeth, the pressure exerted by the filling on the filling engaging member 20 moves it straight forward on this line. The pressure of the filling carrier on the. filling engaging member 20, therefore, doesA not impart or 20 tend to impart an oscillatory movement to y the filling feeler, that is, it does not tend to `eause the' filling engaging member and the feelerl lever 21 to turn on their pivot pin 22.

l -@ther and independent means are provided r6V for effecting this turning movement.

The filling feeler mechanism is connected with either the lodin stopping means or the weft replenishing mechanism through the rock or change shaft.v 17 by loom controlling 'devices comprising an arm 39 rigidly se cured to the rock shaft 17, a lever 40 pivoted on a pin 41 .projecting laterallyy from the arm 39, and a latch lever 42 arranged to swing horizontally Ona pivot pin 43 carried by the rearward end of the lever 40. A torsionspring 44 encircling the rock shaft 17, oneend of the spring taking against the 'loom frame and the other end of the spring taking against the lower end of the arm 39, tends to maintain the arm 39 in inward position toward the breast beam and the levers 40 and 42 in the position shown in Figs. 1'

and 3. The filling fceler mechanism is articulated with the loom controlling devices by means of a link 46, one end of which is loosely received in a hole in the forward end of the feeler lever 21, the other end of the link being loosely received in a hole in the head of an `adjustment bolt 47 threaded in 5o the forward end of th'e latch lever 42. By disengaging the linkl46 from the head of the bolt 47 and turning the bolt inwardly or outwardly, the interrelation of the latch lever and the feeler lever may be adjusted. A lightitniioned compression'` spring 48 interposed bet veen the latch lever and the inner end of ascrew 49 threaded into the rear end of the lever 40, tends to swing the latch lever and the feelei' lever to the right or clockwise about their pivots and thereby V/hringfa shoulder 50 formed on the rearward end of the ,latch lever-into the path of motion of a bunter 51 formed on the weft hammer. By means of the screw if) the tension of the spring 48 may be adjusted. The posithe latch lever is determined by a stop lug 754 38, formed on the forward end of the laten lever, coming into engagement with the ad jacent side of the lever 40. f

As is usual, the weft hammer-beats forward and returns once while the lay beats'g forward and returns twice; consequently,

these" parts are so timed in their movements that, when the weft hammer is beginning its l forward beat, the shuttle being boxed at the filling feeler side of'thc loom, thc lay on' its g5 fillngfecling beat has already brought the' filling carrier into contact with the lling engaging end of the filling engaging member 20. While the parts of the loom controlling devices and the filling feeler mechanism are in their noi-mal positions as shown in Fig.` 1, that is, before the weft hammer andthe lay have moved forward, the pivotal movemeut of the levers 42'and' 21 is prevented by the engagement of the weft hammer with a projection 59. .laterally extending from the extreme rear end of the latch lever. When the forward movement of the weft hammer has disengaged it from the. projection 59, the tendency 0f the spring 48 to force the 10g shoulder 50 into the path of Amotion of the bunter 51 will be counteracted, so long as any filling remains on that part of the fillingI carrier opposite the filling engagin `member 20,I by the engagement of this fil ing with .the filling engaging teeth. But, when the filling opposite the llin engaging member 20 has become entirely cx austed, the spring 48, acting on thev filling feeler through the i connections between them, causes the filling 'engaging teeth to travel along the unwound surface of thc filling carrier toward the butt thereof. This longitudinal movement of the filling fceler along the filling carrier is arrested by the end winding of the filling. But when the filling has been unwound or ex! hausted to a predetermined point from the butt of the filling carrier, thefeeler levei and necessarily the latch lever will have swung far Venough to the right, under actu- 12e ation of the spring 48, to bring the shoulder 50 into the path of motion of the bunter 51 which will then move forward-the partsf the loom controlling devices to oscillate the rock shaft 17 and thereby set in operation 125 either the weft repleiiishing mechanism or* the means for causing loomstoppage. In this connection it will be observed that by reason of the above-described construction of the feeling feeler mecliailismand its con 13Cl intenso necticn. 'with the loom controlling devices, f "vtent to which the filling on the .filling is to be exhausted is determined by ljnstment of the filling feeler and. its supporting means longitndinallyot the iilling; carrier. The farther from the butt 0f 'the lling carrier the filling feeler is l-'positioneththe more lillin is left .on the filling carrier; and, converse y, the nenrer to the butt of the fillinp,n carrier the filling eeler iepositioned, the less filling, is left on the is a substantial amount of lling on the tiling carrier, th cooperation between theilling and the filling engaging member ,f prevents the springr 48 from. turning the let-ch lever 42.4 After'the bunter 5l. has.l or sed by the shoulder 50, it engages the side or' the rear end of the latch lever,

inner und thereby holdsI itl andthe feelerflever in normal position when the backward beat of the lay has disengaged' the filling from thel filling engaging member. When on the rearward movement of the. weft hammer the hunter l arrives o posite the open space rearwardly of the atcb shoulder 50, (the shuttle at this time being at the opposite side of the loom), the spring 48 -will of course turn vthe latch lever 42 and the feeler lever. This turning of the two levers obviocsly causes no change in the operation 'of the loom, and is hut momentary, because as the weft hammer continues its rearward movement it engages the inturned end 59 on the latch lever, thereby forcing the letter and the feeler lever into their normal posii tions, as shown in Fig. l. Thus it is seen that at all times during the operation of the loom, except when the bunter is opposite the open space rearwardly of the latch shoulder,

the cooperation between .the latch lever and the weft hammer maintainsthe feeler lever in normal position and incidentally prevents the Wett hammer .from acting, through the latch lever, on the loom controlling devices.

' But when fthe. bunter is vopposite the open space and a substantial amount 'ot' Afilling is on the tillingcarrier, the filling in coperation with the filling feele-r prevents the latch lever romtnrning. Wehave, then, a cooperative actiony between the weft hammer,

. feeler lever,

the latch lever, the lling and the filling feeler, to prevent a change in the operation of the loom until critical exhaustion of fillf ing*l It will be observed that in the present con- Alatch ing movement of struction of illing fecler mechanism the :filling engaging member may lieve e recio locating movement toward and from tie filling carrier ot' indefinite length., conseqoently, variations in the sizes ci' the iilhng carriers will not affect the accuracy or tlcterminating the yextent to which the filling on them shall be exhausted. And so, also, en obliquely positioned iilling carrier in the shuttle will have no eiect on the accuracy of the filling' feeling operation.

. The reason why this uniforinh'zjyn in e21- heusting all ll'ing carriers is secured, irrei 'spective of their size or position in the shut tlc, will. be apparent when it is considered. that the presence ot lling on that pert of the filling carrier opposite the filling enraging teeth of the filling reeler prevents thepivotal movements or" the @lling eeler,

and consequently of the latch lever, when i the weft hammer bunter moves opposite the vo I lili

ing' a feeler lever, connections between 'the letch lever Asind the feeler lever, and ineens tending to force the shoulder of the latch lever into the path of motiony of the hunter,

,the latch-lever and the weft hammer having lmrts coperating with eachother and the lling feeler mechanism cooperating with the filling to prevent engagement of the lever shoulder by the bunter until the filling hes been. exhausted -to e. predetermined extent.

2. A loom having, in hammer-,loom controlling; devices including a latch lever, a tilling eeler mechanism including a filling feeler having :i freeler lever, connections between the latch lever and the and means tending to move the levers, said latch lever and welt hammer having cooperating parts by virtue ofwhich the movement of the levers is prevented until the filling engages the .lling feeler.

3. A loom having, in combination, a weft hammer, loom controlling devices including aleitch lever having provisionv for engagement with the weft hammer, a filling eeler mechanism including a 'feeler lever and a filling engaging member, connections betweemjthe latch lever and the feeler lever, and means tending lto move the levers, the engagement of the filling with the llng engaging member and the engagement of the weft hammer with the latch lever prevent the levers until the combination, a wet los lhas been exhausted yto a predetermined ei:- tent.'

4. A loom having, in combination, a movable member, a filling feeler mechanism, and loom controlling devices having provision for being `set in o eration by the movable member when the lling has been exhausted tent.

in combination, a shut- 5. A loom having,

a weft hammer havlng tle, a filling carrier,

' a bunter, loomeontrolling devices including a latch lever having a shoulder, a, fillin feeler mechanism includin andv a fillin engaging mem er mounted on the feeler ever, connections between the latch rleve and the feeler lever, and means tending to move the latch level` shoulder into a feeler lever .the path of motion of the bunter and the filling engaging member toward the butt of the filling carrier, the filling and the filling engaging member'coperating on the filling feeling. beat of the lay ,to prevent the i shoulder from moving into the path of the feeling beat of the lay until bunter until the filling has been exhausted yto a predetermined point from the butt of the filling carrier, the latch lever and the weft hammer having co erating parts, to hold the latch lever and t e feeler lever in normal position until the filling has engaged the filling en aging member.

6. A- loom having, in combination, a weft hammer, loom controlling devices including a latch lever, a filling' feeler mechanism com-- prising a -pivoted feeler lever and a filling engaglng member yieldingly mounted on the feeler lever, connections'A between the latch lever and the feeler lever, and a spring tending to swing the latch lever and the feeler lever and thereby bring the latch lever into position to be engaged by Athe vveft hammer f. on its forward beat, said movement of the latch lever and the feeler lever being prevented by theengagement of the filling with the filling engaging member on the filling thefilling has been exhausted to a predetermined extent, said movement of the latch lever and the feeler-lever being also prevent d by the cooperation of the weft hammer nd thel latch lever until the filling has engaged the filling engaging member. l

7. 'A loom having, in combin tion, a mov able member, loom controlling devices adapted` to. be engaged by the movable member to effect a change in the o eration of the loom when the filling' is exhausted to a predetermined extent, means tending to move the loom controlling devices into the path of motion of the movable member, and a filling `an'f'l feeler operating automatically .in

- in normal' ricr, a breast' beam,

incenso into the path of motion of the movable inem- :3Q

ber until the filling engages the hlling teeler, whereu on the cooperation of the filling and the filling .feeler prevents the loom controlling devices from-'moving into the path ci? motion of the movable member until the ill ing is -eizlniusted to a predetermined extent., 8. A. loom having, in combination, a mov able member, 'a latch adapted to be actuated by the movable member, a eeler, and .com nections between the movable member, latch coop# eration with the filling to hold the latch from actuation by the movable memberA until the filling has been exhausted to a predator-t mined extent'.

9. A loom having, a shuttle, a lillin carrier, a breast beam, a support secured t ereto,`a feeler lever pivot ed on the sup ort, a filling engaging memberl slidingly an p feeler lever and adated to engage with the filling, loom controllling means, a latch lever' connected therewith, a link connecting the two levers means tending to move the iev/ere, and a weft hammer having ing with the latch lever to old "the levers `ositon until theglling. feelin beat of the 'ay and to permit the Aturning o the levers when" the lling has been exhausted to a predetermined extent. y 10. A loom having,l in combination, a l lay, a weftvhammer,

a support, a'feeler lever pivoted thereon, slidingly and yieldinglv feeler lever and adapte tion, means tending to turn and means for positivel turning of the lever at the filling engages the lling engaging inem-- ber, and except on the return movement 'of the Wett hammer.

l1. A loom having, ing feeler mechanism filling feeler adapted the feeler lever, L y lpreventing thel in combina/tion, a -llf in combination, ajlay,

yieldingly mounted .on the' 9@ parte cooperate e5 'ice a' shuttle, a filling cara filling engaging member 4 mounted on the-:lot-

to coperatie with 5%,"1* the filling to determine its state of eahauaall times except when lio.'

comprising u pivoted lili' loom controlling deviceing im,

lever, positive connections said latch lever L25l i prising a feeler member pivotali mounted to svvlng about a fixed axis an having a part to engage the filling in the shuttle, means tending to turn said feeler member aboutl said fixed axis, and cam means for moving the feeler about .its xed axis into feeling position in opposition to said means.

' 13. In a feeler motion for looms, the combination of an operating member, an arm having a part for engagement by said operating member to aetuate said arm and effect filling replenishment, means normally acting to move said part into position for engagement by said .operating member, means earried by said arm to prevent movement of said arm in response to said normally acting means during a portion of the movement of the operating member, and a feeler acting by Contact with the filling in the shuttle until substantial. exhaustion thereof to prevent movement of said arm in response to said normally .acting means during the remainder ofthe movement of tbeoperating member.

14. In a feeler motion for looms, the com;

tially exhausted, a feeler connected to said arm and, having a part to engage the filling in the shuttleyand to be held from movement longitudinally of the shuttie until substantial exhaustion of the filling, meansY tending to more the feeler longitudinally of the shuttle, and means carried by said arm adapted to be engaged by the operating member on its backward movement to return the feeler to feeling position.

Jonas Nn'rnnor. 

